Hey all, I’m British so I don’t really know the ins and outs of the US healthcare system. Apologies for asking what is probably a rather simple question.

So like most of you, I see many posts and gofundmes about people having astronomically high medical bills. Most recently, someone having a $27k bill even after his death.

However, I have an American friend who is quick to point out that apparently nobody actually pays those bills. They’re just some elaborate dance between insurance companies and hospitals. If you don’t have insurance, the cost is lower or removed entirely. Supposedly.

So I’m just asking… How accurate is that? Consider someone without insurance, a minor physical ailment, a neurodivergent mind and no interest in fighting off harassing people for the rest of their life.

How much would such a person expect to pay, out of their own pocket, for things like check ups, x rays, meds, counselling and so on?

  • Kongar@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    It varies a lot for people, and the bills you actually pay depend on a lot of things. It’s complicated here.

    I would say I’m the average “I have healthcare through work” person. But that’s not average for the population (many people have no healthcare).

    I pay about $600 a month for a plan that lets me go to any doctor (called a ppo). If I wanted a cheaper monthly bill, I could get on board with the plan where you have to go to the doctors and facilities that are “in the insurers network”. I’ve had problems with these plans as they’ve become more and more run by the insurers than actual doctors - leading to shoddy care. So $600 a month for my family it is.

    I did require major surgery about 10 years ago. I was in the hospital for a month and had a million office visits. The grand total “bill” was just over a half million dollars. My portion of that was about $10,000. It was crazy to look at the itemized bill though. Two Advils cost like $50. An X-ray? Like $1000. But that’s like this this fucky-fuck game insurers and providers play with each other. Sometimes people are flat broke, and the hospitals still have to care for them if they wander into the ER - and they get paid nothing. It’s a weird system.

    If you don’t have health insurance-you’re kind of in trouble. Interestingly, those $1000 X-rays become $200 if you’re uninsured. Definitely more manageable-but you’d be screwed if you required major surgery. You’d be bankrupt.

    Basically it’s very American-it works great for people doing well in life - screw everyone else less fortunate- get a job…